Artificial foot.



S. VINCENTI. ARTIFICIAL FOOT. APPLICATION man APR. 5. 1913' 1,289,589.Patented Dec. 31,1918. 4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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'S. VINCENTI. ARTIFICIAL FOOT.v APPLICATION men APR. 5. 191B.

Patented Dec. 31,1918.

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ARTIFICIAL FOOT. APPLICATION FILED APR. 5. 191a.

Patented Dec. 31,1918.

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S. VINCENTI. ARTIFICIAL FOOT. APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, ma.

1,29,580. Patented Dec. 31,1918.

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To allwiwm-z't may concern: y

Be it known that I, STAMs'LAw .VINCENTII;

a citizen of Switzerland, and residing at Geneva, Switzerland,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Artificial Feet, ofwhich the following :is .a specification. I r a My invention relates toan. artificialfoot pivoted toa shank, by the swinging movefoot aremoved.

- A primary object of the invention is; to provide that the swingingmovement of the leg orxshank is used formoving the parts of the foot.relatively to one another in such a ments of, which the articulatedparts of the;

manner that at thejcommencementof a step the rear 'part of the foot isliftedv with the shank for obviating limping, and so that, when placingthe extended foot on the ground, the middle part of the foot is loweredfor immediately obtaining a large area of support and also for imitatingthe movement of the natural foot, whereby the foot can take up everynaturalposition.

To. this end my improved artificial foot comprises a pressure leverprovided with curved operative faces which is so connected with theshank and actuates the articulate parts of the foot in such a mannerthat the described movements result.

The invention consists-in the construction, arrangement and combinationof parts described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims- Oneillustrative embodiment of the invention is represented by way ofexample in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a diagrammaticside elevation of the skeleton of the foot, and

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 shows the foot at the commencement of a step forward, the shankbeing shown slanting forward,

- Fig. 4 shows the foot advancing with the heel raised,' and p 1 Fig. 5shows the foot at the end of the step I after being placed on theground, but while the shank is still slanting backward.

Referring to the drawings, the outer shape of the foot is not materialto the invention;

. any suitable means may be used for giving the foot a natural shape. Itmay be made of felt, or pneumatic cushions or pads may be provided,particularly on the sole, for causing better distribution of thepressure when tread n o h a t-wee. .1. a i

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed April Patented Dec. 31, 1918,

Serial No. 226,956.

For attaching. the foot to the stump of the leg I use bars. 1 besidesother known means, not shown, such asleather straps and the like. Thesebars extend upward at the twosides of the stump of the shank or, if thefemur has been amputated, they will be jointed at the knee and extend tothe thigh. The two bars lcarry at their lower ends a shaft 2 rigidlyconnected with them. This shaft is squared at two places for receivingthe pressure lever 15, and it freely carries the heel part 3 which isshown as a triangular frame, but may be-shaped otherwise if desired.This heel part 3 is pivotally connect ed at 4 with the instep or middlepart, comprising the frame 5 and, corresponding to the shape of thefoot, an approximately horizontal, slightly downwardly directed part 6and an upwardly directed part 7. An antifriction roller 8 is mounted ranthis. upwardly directed part 7 this part also carries sev eral springs 9which bear on anti-friction rollers 10 carried by arms 11 fast on theheel frame 8. These springs 9, which preferably consist of two springspivotally connected 4 together, extend into the toe part 12 whichispivotally connected at 13 with the instep frame. The toe part 12which, as shown in Fig. 2, may consist of two parts located beside oneanother, carries anti-friction rollers 14 located in front of andabovethe joints 13. These rollers 14 press on the front .ends

of the springs 9,'so that when the toe part is rocked about its fulcrum,these springs are tensioned by means of the rollers 10 and 14, so thatthey tend to return the toes automatically into their normal position.

Two pressure levers 15, firmly connected with the bars 1, bear againstthe roller 8, so that whenever the angle of inclination of the bars 1changes the levers 15 must also move. A pressure member 18 having a camface 16, 17 is exchangeably mounted in suitable guides on these levers.

As clearly shown in the drawings the joint 4 connecting the two parts 3and 5 has only a very little play, so that the two parts can rotate onlya relatively small angle relatively to one another. 1 The action of thedescribed foot is as folows At the commencement of a step when the footmoves from the position shown in Fig. 1 into that shown in Fig. 3, thecam face 16 of the lever 15 acts. on the roller 8, and the distancebetween the roller and the axis of ished, a pressure is the shaft 2 isincreased. The ball 60f the instep part still rests firmly under thefull pressure of the body. C011 sequently, the instep part 5 cannotyield to the pressure of the bars 1 through the lever. 15 on the roller8, so that the shaftfl and the bars 1 are pressed backward in order toincrease the distance between the parts 2 and 8. Hence theparts 3 and 5turn relatively. to each other in the joint l and since, owing to thesmall amount of play in this joint, the movement in the jointisveryquickly finexerted which tends to lift the joint 4a little andwith it the parts connected therewith, particularly the shaft 2 and thebars 1 on the one hand, and the part 7 of the instep frame on the other.The fulcrum for this movement may be considered to be the ball part ofthe instep, this being firmly placed on the ground at thisin stant andtaking up almost the entire pres. sure of the body carried by the foot,because during this forward movement" of the shank the heel is relievedto a certain eXt'ent even ifthe heel has not yet been completely liftedfrom the ground. i 'Q J During this rotation of the heel part'3relatively to the instep part the rollers 10 mounted on tl1e""arms 11 ofthe heel part move upward and press against the springs 9 from below, sothat these are tensioned, as shown in Fig. 3.

On the shank moving farther forward for the purpose of advancing, theparts 3 and 5 at first remain stationary relatively to one another andare then lifted conjointly, thetoe joint being bent still more as theheel rises from the ground, as shown in Fig. 4. At thi moment the loadbears substantially on the toes now fully bent. The springs 9 are nowseverely tensioned at their front ends owing to rollers 14 pressingfromabove I on, the front end of the springs.

1 When the foot is lifted and swings freely in the air, the parts movedrelatively to one another take up their normal positionias shown n'Fig: 1. "Thetoe art is'pressed downward byfth'e front" end of thesprings9,- so th it is again lo'i'a't'ed in the direction of the; lo-ngitudi'nal axis of the instep or middle- On the other hand, the ten?sionedsprlngst) 'a'cti'n suchia' manner on the heel part by means of therollers 10-'a'nd the arms 11 that the 'backwa'rd 'relative movemerit ofthe two arts '3 and} '5 begins: In th s positiom however, the heel part3 cannot yield further,'-a's its movement relative to the part 5 ischecked by th :ioint i'. "Con sequently,=the eflect-"of the pressure ofthe springs 9 on the roller 10 is to lift thefi ri step part, the roller8 running along the'cam face 16 'and finally arrivingin the'midd'lepositionas shown'in'Fig. 1-. i

i'- Theforward movement of the step is com} pletdflfthls" position, inwhich'the foot is on the ground .Wise first touches thelocatedrightangles A longitiidinal scend to the ground',"-and'the'position shown in Fig.5 obtains. 1 ItjijsSeenJthere'fOre; thatalmost immediatelyafter the foot touches the ground the entire foot ison the ground and affords" ameffective and reliable support.

' An "essential" feature of j the" 'inventioit thus the novel connectionbetween :t he'xheel and instep partsby virtueof wh1ch,"solely Owing tothe natural movement of t leg when walkingahe"leg is lifte'd at-rthebeginning of a' stepthe other hand, at'the'endpf the-step the 1nstep andtoes are-moved downward for" obtaining a secure foot-hold, Anotheradvantage of the invention is that other movements of the foot, e. 9.that when riding, when rowing seated on sliding seats, and the like, canbe imitated simply by substituting the cam member 18 having the camfaces 16 and 17 by other cam members having faces required movements.For as will be readily understood from the above and from the drawings,the shape of these cams may be such a to produce any desired movement ofplanted firmly adapted to produce the I the instep part when bending andstretchingthe leg, so that the artificial foot'can be adapted to thenatural gait of any person. I claim: T 1. In an artificial foot, thecombination with a shaft and bars fixed to. said shaft for attachment toa leg. of a heel member pivotally mounted on the'said shaft. an instepmember pivoted to the heel member; a controlling cam rigidly conne'ctedto thesaid shaft andcoacting bytheswinging movementpfthe leg with thesaidinstep member, a toe member pivotally" connected: to the instepmember. and means forregulating the relative-'-'position oftheheelmember, the instep member,

otheri a 2*. an artifici al foot, "the combination with a shaftand barsfixedfi to the shaft for attachment to alegr; ofa heel member pivotandthe toe members b s ally mountedon the said shaftf ani instepcontrolling cam, a toe member pivotally connected to the instep member,and means for regulating the relative position of the heel member, theinstep member, and the toe member to each other.

3. In an artificial foot, the combination with a shaft and bars fixed tosaid shaft for attachment to a leg, of a heel member, an

instep member, a controlling cam rigidly connected to the said shaft, anupward extending arm formed on said instep member, an antifrictionroller mounted on said arm, the said controlling cam coacting with thesaid roller, a toe, member being pivotally connected to the instepmember, the said heel member having the form of a triangular frame, onecorner of the latter being pivotally connected to the said shaft, oneother corner adjacent to the said instep memher being pivoted to theheel member but rotatable with the instep member only in a littleextent, and means for regulating the relative positions of the heelmember, the instep member and the toe member to each other.

4. In an artificial foot, the combination with a shaft and bars fixed tosaid shaft for attachment to a le of a triangularly shaped heel memberpivotally mounted on the said shaft, an instep member pivoted to theheel member, a controlling cam rigidly connected to the said shaft andcoacting by the swing ing movement of the leg with the said instepmember, a toe member pivotally connected to the instep member, atwo-part jointed spring having one end connected to thefinstep memberand its other end taking into the toe member, a first pressure rollersupported by the heel member and influencing the one part of the saidtwo-part jointed spring, and a second pressure roller supported by thetoe member and influencing the other part of the spring.

5. In an artificial foot, the combination with a shaft and bars fixed tothe shaft for attachment to a leg, of a heel member pivotally mounted onthe said shaft, an instep member pivoted to the heel member, acontrolling cam rigidly connected to the said shaft, an upwardlyextending arm formed on the instep member, an antifriction rollermounted on said arm, the said controlling cam coacting with the saidroller, a toe mem ber pivotally connected to the instep memher, atwo-part jointed spring having one end connected to the said upwardlyextending arm of the instep member and its other end taking into the toemember, two pressure rollers, an arm protruding from the heel member andsupporting one of said rollers, the last-mentioned roller pressingagainst the lower side of the one part of the said spring, and the otherof the said rollers being supported by the toe member and pressingagainst the upper side of the other part of the spring.

6. In an artificial foot, the combination with a shaft and bars fixed tothe shaft for attachment to a leg, of a heel member pivotally mounted onthe said shaft, an instep member pivoted'to the heel member, a leverrigidly connected to the said shaft, a controlling cam piece mounted onsaid lever, an upwardly extending arm formed on the instep member, anantifriction roller mounted on said arm, the said controlling cam piececoacting with the said roller, a toe member pivotally connected to theinstep member, and means for regulating the relative position of theheel member, the instep member and the toe member to each other.

7. In an artificial foot, the combination with a shaft and bars fixed tothe shaft for attachment to a leg, of a heel member pivotally mounted onthe said shaft, an instep member pivoted to the heel member, a leverrigidly connected to the said shaft, a con trolling cam piece with twocam surfaces mounted on said lever, an upwardly extending arm formed onthe instep member, an antifriction roller mounted on said arm, the saidcontrolling cam piece acting with the one cam on the said roller duringthe movement of the leg toward the one direction, and with the other camon the roller during the movement of the leg toward the other direction,a toe member pivotally connected to the instep member, and means forregulating the relative position of the heel member, the instep memberand the toe member to each other.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

STANISLAW VINCENTI.

Witnesses:

MAURICE PREGER, CHARLES POSNANSKI.

Copies of-this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner or Patentm, Washington, D. 0."

